Vehicle air conditioner having surface temperature sensor

• US 6,659,358 B2
• Filed: 10/24/2001
• Issued: 12/09/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Kawai, Takayoshi, Kamiya, Toshifumi, Kajino, Yuichi, Ohga, Akira
• Primary Examiner(s): WAYNER, WILLIAM E
• Application Number:
  US10/000,608
• Publication Number:
  US 20020053601A1
• Time in Patent Office: 776 Days
• Field of Search: 236/49.3, 236/51, 236/91.C, 454/75, 165/204
• US Class Current: 236/49.3
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00742 by detection of the vehicle occupants' presence; by detection of conditions relating to the body of occupants, e.g. using radiant heat detectors
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00792 Arrangement of detectors B60H1/00742, B60H1/0075, B60H1/00785 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00807 the input being a specific way of measuring or calculating an air or coolant temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00985 Control systems or circuits characterised by display or indicating devices, e.g. voice simulators characterised by the input of sound using a voice synthesizer B60H1/00757; B60H1/00978 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1919 characterised by the type of controller
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/27 with sensing element responsive to radiation

Abstract

The air conditioner includes a surface temperature sensor for detecting a surface temperature of a clothes portion of a passenger. In the air conditioner, a thermal-feeling estimation value for the passenger is calculated based on the surface temperature of the clothes portion of the passenger, and air-conditioning operation of a passenger compartment is controlled based on the thermal-feeling estimation value. Accordingly, in the air conditioner, the thermal feeling can be always accurately estimated, and comfortable air-conditioning control can be performed using the thermal-feeling estimation value.

Claims

1. An air conditioner for a vehicle having a passenger compartment, comprising:

a surface temperature sensor for detecting a surface temperature on a clothes portion of a passenger and for outputting a clothes temperature signal;

estimation-value calculating means for calculating an estimation value of thermal feeling for a passenger in the passenger compartment, based on the clothes temperature signal; and

a control unit for performing air-conditioning control in the passenger compartment, based on the estimation value of the thermal feeling;

wherein

the surface temperature sensor is disposed to detect only the surface temperature of the clothes portion of an upper half body of the passenger.

2. The air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein the control unit performs the air-conditioning control in the passenger compartment, in accordance with a difference between the estimation valve, and a target value of the thermal feeling that is an estimation value of target thermal feeling comfortable for the passenger, in such a manner that the estimation value of the thermal feeling coincides with the target value of the thermal feeling.

3. The air conditioner according to claim 2, wherein the thermal feeling target value is calculated using vehicle environmental information relative to the thermal feeling of the passenger and thermal feeling information determined by preference of the passenger.

4. The air conditioner according to claim 3, wherein the vehicle environmental information is at least one of a solar radiation intensity, an outside air temperature, a relative humidity and a vehicle speed.

5. The air conditioner according to claim 2, wherein the thermal feeling target value is changed in accordance with the clothes amount of the passenger.

6. The air conditioner according to claim 2, wherein a maximum value of the estimation value of the thermal feeling and a maximum value of the target value of the thermal feeling are respectively restricted to be equal to or lower than a predetermined value.

7. The air conditioner according to claim 6, wherein:

the maximum value of the estimation value of the thermal feeling is restricted below a first predetermined value while the maximum value of the target value of the thermal feeling is restricted below a second predetermined value, and the second predetermined value is set larger than the first predetermined value; and

a minimum value of the target value of the thermal feeling is restricted above a third predetermined value while a minimum value of the estimation value of the thermal feeling is restricted above a fourth predetermined, and the fourth predetermined value is set larger than the third predetermined value.

8. The air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein the surface temperature sensor is disposed to detect the surface temperature of the clothes portion of an upper half body of the passenger.

11. The air conditioner according to claim 1, further comprising:

target temperature calculating means for calculating a target air temperature to be blown into the passenger compartment, by using the following formula;

12. The air conditioner according to claim 11, wherein the control coefficient K is changeable.

13. The air conditioner according to claim 1, further comprising:

target temperature calculating means for calculating a target air temperature to be blown into the passenger compartment, by using the following formula;

14. The air conditioner according to claim 13, wherein the control coefficient K is changeable.

15. The air conditioner according to claim 1, further comprising:

target temperature calculating means for calculating a target air temperature to be blown into the passenger compartment, by using the following formula;

16. The air conditioner according to claim 15, wherein the control coefficient K is changeable.

17. The air conditioner according to claim 1, further comprising

a mode switching unit for switching one of a first mode where air is blown toward at least an upper side of the passenger, and a second mode where air is blown toward at least a lower side of the passenger while a flow of air blown toward the upper side is interrupted, based on the surface temperature detected by the surface temperature sensor.

9. The air conditioner according to claim 9, wherein the estimation-value calculating means calculates the estimation value of the thermal feeling by using the clothes temperature signal and vehicle environmental information relative to the thermal feeling of the passenger.

10. The air conditioner according to claim 9, wherein the vehicle environmental information is a solar radiation intensity.

18. An air conditioner for a vehicle having a passenger compartment, comprising:

a surface temperature sensor for detecting a surface temperature on a clothes portion of a passenger and for outputting a clothes temperature signal;

estimation-value calculating means for calculating an estimation value of thermal feeling for a passenger in the passenger compartment, based on the clothes temperature signal; and

a control unit for performing air-conditioning control in the passenger compartment, based on the estimation value of the thermal feeling;

wherein

the estimation-value calculating means calculates the estimation value of the thermal feeling by using the clothes temperature signal and vehicle environmental information relative to the thermal feeling of the passenger;

the vehicle environmental information is a solar radiation intensity; and

the estimation value of the thermal feeling is calculated using the following formula;

19. The air conditioner according to claim 18, further comprising:

a clothes-amount setting unit through which the passenger inputs clothes-amount information,

wherein the coefficient Cclo is determined based on the clothes-amount information inputted by the passenger using the clothes-amount setting unit.

20. The air conditioner according to claim 18, further comprising:

an outside air temperature sensor for detecting an outside air temperature,

wherein the coefficient Cclo is determined based on the outside air temperature.

21. The air conditioner according to claim 18, further comprising:

thermal-capacity estimating means for estimating thermal capacity of the clothes portion using a change rate of the surface temperature on the clothes portion,

wherein the coefficient Cclo is determined based on the clothes amount estimated using the thermal capacity.

22. An air conditioner for a vehicle having a passenger compartment, comprising:

a surface temperature sensor for detecting a surface temperature on a clothes portion of a passenger and for outputting a clothes temperature signal;

estimation-value calculating means for calculating an estimation value of thermal feeling for a passenger in the passenger compartment, based on the clothes temperature signal; and

a control unit for performing air-conditioning control in the passenger compartment, in accordance with a difference between the estimated valve of the thermal feeling, and a target value of the thermal feeling that is an estimation value of target thermal feeling comfortable for the passenger, in such a manner that the estimation value of the thermal feeling coincides with the target value of the thermal feeling;

wherein the surface temperature sensor is disposed to detect only the surface temperature of the clothes portion of an upper half body of the passenger.

23. The air conditioner according to claim 22, wherein the estimation-value calculating means calculates the estimation value of the thermal feeling by using the clothes temperature signal and vehicle environmental information relative to the thermal feeling of the passenger.

24. The air conditioner according to claim 22, wherein the thermal feeling target value is calculated using vehicle environmental information relative to the thermal feeling of the passenger and thermal feeling information determined by preference of the passenger.

25. An air conditioner for a vehicle having a passenger compartment, comprising:

a surface temperature sensor for detecting a surface temperature on a clothes portion of a passenger and for outputting a clothes temperature signal;

estimation-value calculating means for calculating an estimation value of thermal feeling for a passenger in the passenger compartment, based on the clothes temperature signal; and

a control unit for performing air-conditioning control in the passenger compartment, in accordance with a difference between the estimated valve of the thermal feeling, and a target value of the thermal feeling that is an estimation value of target thermal feeling comfortable for the passenger, in such a manner that the estimation value of the thermal feeling coincides with the target value of the thermal feeling;

wherein

the thermal feeling target value is calculated using vehicle environmental information relative to the thermal feeling of the passenger and thermal feeling information determined by preference of the passenger; and

the vehicle environmental information is at least one of a solar radiation intensity, an outside air temperature, a relative humidity and a vehicle speed.

26. An air conditioner for a vehicle having a passenger compartment, comprising:

a surface temperature sensor for detecting a surface temperature on a clothes portion of a passenger and for outputting a clothes temperature signal;

estimation-value calculating means for calculating an estimation value of thermal feeling for a passenger in the passenger compartment, based on the clothes temperature signal; and

a control unit for performing air-conditioning control in the passenger compartment, in accordance with a difference between the estimated valve of the thermal feeling, and a target value of the thermal feeling that is an estimation value of target thermal feeling comfortable for the passenger, in such a manner that the estimation value of the thermal feeling coincides with the target value of the thermal feeling;

wherein the thermal feeling target value is changed in accordance with the clothes amount of the passenger.

27. An air conditioner for a vehicle having a passenger compartment, comprising:

a surface temperature sensor for detecting a surface temperature on a clothes portion of a passenger and for outputting a clothes temperature signal;

estimation-value calculating means for calculating an estimation value of thermal feeling for a passenger in the passenger compartment, based on the clothes temperature signal;

a control unit for performing air-conditioning control in the passenger compartment, in accordance with a difference between the estimation valve of the thermal feeling, and a target value of the thermal feeling that is an estimation value of target thermal feeling comfortable for the passenger, in such a manner that the estimation value of the thermal feeling coincides with the target value of the thermal; and

target temperature calculating means for calculating a target air temperature to be blown into the passenger compartment, by using the following formula;

28. An air conditioner for a vehicle having a passenger compartment, comprising:

a surface temperature sensor for detecting a surface temperature on a clothes portion of a passenger and for outputting a clothes temperature signal;

estimation-value calculating means for calculating an estimation value of thermal feeling for a passenger in the passenger compartment, based on the clothes temperature signal;

a control unit for performing air-conditioning control in the passenger compartment, in accordance with a difference between the estimation valve of the thermal feeling, and a target value of the thermal feeling that is an estimation value of target thermal feeling comfortable for the passenger, in such a manner that the estimation value of the thermal feeling coincides with the target value of the thermal; and

target temperature calculating means for calculating a target air temperature to be blown into the passenger compartment, by using the following formula;

29. An air conditioner for a vehicle having a passenger compartment, comprising:

a surface temperature sensor for detecting a surface temperature on a clothes portion of a passenger and for outputting a clothes temperature signal;

estimation-value calculating means for calculating an estimation value of thermal feeling for a passenger in the passenger compartment, based on the clothes temperature signal;

a control unit for performing air-conditioning control in the passenger compartment, in accordance with a difference between the estimation valve of the thermal feeling, and a target value of the thermal feeling that is an estimation value of target thermal feeling comfortable for the passenger, in such a manner that the estimation value of the thermal feeling coincides with the target value of the thermal; and

target temperature calculating means for calculating a target air temperature to be blown into the passenger compartment, by using the following formula;

30. An air conditioner for a vehicle having a passenger compartment, comprising:

a surface temperature sensor for detecting a surface temperature on a clothes portion of a passenger and for outputting a clothes temperature signal;

estimation-value calculating means for calculating an estimation value of thermal feeling for a passenger in the passenger compartment, based on the clothes temperature signal; and

a control unit for performing air-conditioning control in the passenger compartment, in accordance with a difference between the estimated valve of the thermal feeling, and a target value of the thermal feeling that is an estimation value of target thermal feeling comfortable for the passenger, in such a manner that the estimation value of the thermal feeling coincides with the target value of the thermal feeling;

wherein a maximum value of the estimation value of the thermal feeling and a maximum value of the target value of the thermal feeling are respectively restricted to be equal to or lower.

31. The air conditioner according to claim 30, wherein:

the maximum value of the estimation value of the thermal feeling is restricted below a first predetermined value while the maximum value of the target value of the thermal feeling is restricted below a second predetermined value, and the second predetermined value is set larger than the first predetermined value; and

a minimum value of the target value of the thermal feeling is restricted above a third predetermined value while a minimum value of the estimation value of the thermal feeling is restricted above a fourth predetermined, and the fourth predetermined value is set larger than the third predetermined value.

32. An air conditioner for a vehicle having a passenger compartment, comprising:

a surface temperature sensor for detecting a surface temperature of a passenger in the passenger compartment; and

a mode switching unit being capable of automatically switching one of a first mode where air is blown at least toward an upper side of the passenger, and a second mode where air is blown at least toward a lower side of the passenger while a flow of air blown toward the upper side of the passenger is interrupted, wherein;

the mode switching unit switches between the first mode and the second mode based on the surface temperature of the passenger detected by the surface temperature sensor;

when the surface temperature of the passenger is lower than a first predetermined temperature in a warming-up control operation where temperature of air blown into the passenger compartment is increased after heating in the passenger compartment is started, the first mode is selected by the mode switching unit; and

when the surface temperature of the passenger is higher than the first predetermined temperature in the warming-up control operation, the second mode is selected by the mode switching unit.

33. The air conditioner according to claim 32, wherein:

when temperature, relative to the temperature of air blown into the passenger compartment, is lower than a second predetermined temperature in the warming-up control operation, the second mode is selected; and

when the temperature, relative to the temperature of air blown into the passenger compartment, is higher than the second predetermined temperature in the warming-up control operation, one of the first mode and the second mode is automatically switched based on the surface temperature of the passenger.

34. The air conditioner according to claim 33, further comprising:

a heating heat exchanger for heating air using a hot water as a heating source,

wherein the temperature, relative to the temperature of air blown into the passenger compartment, is temperature of hot water.

35. The air conditioner according to claim 32, wherein the first mode is a bi-level mode where air is blown into the passenger compartment from both of a face air outlet, from which air is blown toward the upper side of the passenger, and a foot air outlet from which air is blown toward the lower side of the passenger in the passenger compartment.

36. The air conditioner according to claim 32, wherein the second mode is a foot mode where air is blown into the passenger compartment at least from a foot air outlet toward the lower side of the passenger.

37. The air conditioner according to claim 32, wherein the surface temperature sensor is an infrared sensor for detecting the surface temperature of the upper side of the passenger.

38. An air conditioner for a vehicle having a passenger compartment, comprising:

a surface temperature sensor for detecting a surface temperature of a passenger in the passenger compartment; and

a mode switching unit being capable of automatically switching one of a first mode where air is blown at least toward an upper side of the passenger, and a second mode where air is blown at least toward a lower side of the passenger while a flow of air blown toward the upper side of the passenger is interrupted, wherein;

the mode switching unit switches between the first mode and the second mode based on the surface temperature of the passenger detected by the surface temperature sensor; and

the first mode is a multi-blowing mode where air is blown into the passenger compartment from a face air outlet toward the upper side of the passenger, is blown from a foot air outlet toward the lower side of the passenger, and is blown from a defroster air outlet toward an inner surface of a windshield of the vehicle, at the same time.

39. An air conditioner for a vehicle having a passenger compartment, comprising:

a first mode switching unit for switching one of a plurality of modes in accordance with an air-conditioning condition, the plurality of modes at least including a first mode where air is blown at least toward an upper side of a passenger in the passenger compartment, and a second mode where air is blown at least toward a lower side of the passenger while a flow of air blown toward the upper side of the passenger is interrupted;

a surface temperature sensor for detecting a surface temperature of the passenger in the passenger compartment; and

a second mode switching unit for switching one of the first mode and the second mode in accordance with the surface temperature of the passenger detected by the surface temperature sensor, wherein;

the first mode switching unit switches one of the plurality of modes in an air-conditioning stationary operation; and

the second mode switching unit switches one of the first mode and the second mode in a warming-up control operation where temperature of air is increased after heating in a passenger compartment is started.

40. The air conditioner according to claim 39, wherein:

when temperature, relative to the temperature of air blown into the passenger compartment, is lower than a predetermined temperature in the warming-up control operation, the second mode is selected; and

when the temperature, relative to the temperature of air blown into the passenger compartment, is higher than the predetermined temperature in the warming-up control operation, one of the first mode and the second mode is automatically switched based on the surface temperature of the passenger.

41. The air conditioner according to claim 39, further comprising:

a heating heat exchanger for heating air using a hot water as a heating source,

wherein the temperature, relative to the temperature of air blown into the passenger compartment, is temperature of hot water.

42. The air conditioner according to claim 39, wherein the first mode is a bi-level mode where air is blown into the passenger compartment from both of a face air outlet, from which air is blown toward the upper side of the passenger, and a foot air outlet from which air is blown toward the lower side of the passenger in the passenger compartment.

43. The air conditioner according to claim 39, wherein the first mode is a multi-blowing mode where air is blown into the passenger compartment from a face air outlet toward the upper side of the passenger, is blown from a foot air outlet toward the lower side of the passenger, and is blown from a defroster air outlet toward an inner surface of a windshield of the vehicle, at the same time.

44. The air conditioner according to claim 39, wherein the second mode is a foot mode where air is blown into the passenger compartment at least from a foot air outlet toward the lower side of the passenger.

45. The air conditioner according to claim 39, wherein the surface temperature sensor is an infrared sensor for detecting the surface temperature of the upper side of the passenger.

46. An air conditioner for a vehicle having a passenger compartment, comprising:

calculation means for calculating a target air temperature to be blown into the passenger compartment;

a first mode switching unit for switching one of a plurality of modes in accordance with the target air temperature, the plurality of modes at least including a first mode where air is blown at least toward an upper side of a passenger in the passenger compartment, and a second mode where air is blown at least toward a lower side of the passenger while a flow of air blown toward the upper side of the passenger is interrupted;

a surface temperature sensor for detecting a surface temperature of the passenger in the passenger compartment;

a second mode switching unit for switching one of the first mode and the second mode in accordance with the surface temperature of the passenger, detected by the surface temperature sensor; and

determination means for determining a warming-up control operation in which temperature of air blown into the passenger compartment is increased after heating in the passenger compartment is started, wherein;

when the warming-up control operation is determined by the determination unit, the first mode and the second mode are switched by the second mode switching unit based on the surface temperature of the passenger; and

when an air-conditioning stationary operation is determined by the determination unit, the plurality of modes

are switched by the first mode switching unit based on the target air it temperature.

47. The air conditioner according to claim 46, wherein,

when the target air temperature is higher than a predetermined temperature, the warming-up control operation is determined by the determination means.

48. The air conditioner according to claim 46, further comprising:

a heating heat exchanger for heating air using a hot water as a heating source,

wherein the temperature, relative to the temperature of air blown into the passenger compartment, is temperature of hot water.

49. The air conditioner according to claim 46, wherein the first mode is a bi-level mode where air is blown into the passenger compartment from both of a face air outlet, from which air is blown toward the upper side of the passenger, and a foot air outlet from which air is blown toward the lower side of the passenger in the passenger compartment.

50. The air conditioner according to claim 46, wherein the first mode is a multi-blowing mode where air is blown into the passenger compartment from a face air outlet toward the upper side of the passenger, is blown from a foot air outlet toward the lower side of the passenger, and is blown from a defroster air outlet toward an inner surface of a windshield of the vehicle, at the same time.

51. The air conditioner according to claim 46, wherein the second mode is a foot mode where air is blown into the passenger compartment at least from a foot air outlet toward the lower side of the passenger.

52. The air conditioner according to claim 46, wherein the surface temperature sensor is an infrared sensor for detecting the surface temperature of the upper side of the passenger.